April 4
Good Gifts
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[g] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
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My husband is such a wonderful man!
BUT......he is very difficult to buy a gift for.
I have spent weeks of searching and planning to get him the perfect birthday gift, only to have him open the box, hold the long sought after (on my part! ) item, smile and lay it down. Do you know that I am just crushed when this happens.. My joy at finding a gift that I am sure he will love, far exceeds his joy at receiving a gift.
This puzzled me so much because I LOVE LOVE LOVE receiving gifts. Wrapping paper torn off , thrown on the floor....ripping through boxes taped shut only heightens my anticipation to get at the prize.... the wonderful GIFT!
Gifts for me don't have to be extravagant either, as long as they are something that the giver really believes I will love. And if they know me , the giver is usually spot on.
Did I mention that I LOVE gifts?
Maybe this is a key factor in my love for the Lord, because as much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE to receive gifts, His delight in giving gifts to me far exceeds my understanding.
He reminds us in today's Word, that He is ready to give us His gracious love at every turn!
Most especially, He tells us that He is ready with exactly what we need at exactly the right time.
When we search for Him: HE WILL BE THERE!
When we knock at some door, trying to gain entrance into the place where He is: THAT DOOR WILL OPENED!
When we feel a need or desire pressuring us and we place that request at His feet; He says, that person WILL RECEIVE!
So very precious, is vs 13, as Jesus reminds us that our Father, in Heaven, is "like" our earthly father.
He is divinely driven to give us the same kind of gifts as our earthly father.......gifts that will help us, gifts that will give us pleasure but also will help us to fulfill His purpose and plan for us.
God is the perfect gift giver...He always knows precisely what I need.
If we ask, we will RECEIVE........
The question is: Are you bold enough to continually ask Him, to continually seek Him, unashamedly..........staying fixed on Him, undeterred no matter what my circumstance, knocking and refusing to be distracted......
knowing that He will give me the Holy Spirit so that I will be totally in line with His Will, His Truth, and His Way...........totally in line with Jesus Christ the One and Only Son of God.
Knocking on that door, and knowing that He will open it to me.........
So that I may BASK IN HIS WONDERFUL PRESENCE!
What a gift that is to me.........His presence.....His love..... His mercy and grace...... I delight in opening up those precious gifts each and every day..........Amen!
Good Gifts
Luke 10:38-11:13
New International Version (NIV)
At the Home of Martha and Mary
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Jesus’ Teaching on Prayer
11 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”
2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[f] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[g] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
Footnotes:
- Luke 10:42 Some manuscripts but only one thing is needed
- Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts Our Father in heaven
- Luke 11:2 Some manuscripts come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
- Luke 11:4 Greek everyone who is indebted to us
- Luke 11:4 Some manuscripts temptation, but deliver us from the evil one
- Luke 11:8 Or yet to preserve his good name
- Luke 11:11 Some manuscripts for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for
My husband is such a wonderful man!
BUT......he is very difficult to buy a gift for.
I have spent weeks of searching and planning to get him the perfect birthday gift, only to have him open the box, hold the long sought after (on my part! ) item, smile and lay it down. Do you know that I am just crushed when this happens.. My joy at finding a gift that I am sure he will love, far exceeds his joy at receiving a gift.
This puzzled me so much because I LOVE LOVE LOVE receiving gifts. Wrapping paper torn off , thrown on the floor....ripping through boxes taped shut only heightens my anticipation to get at the prize.... the wonderful GIFT!
Gifts for me don't have to be extravagant either, as long as they are something that the giver really believes I will love. And if they know me , the giver is usually spot on.
Did I mention that I LOVE gifts?
Maybe this is a key factor in my love for the Lord, because as much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE to receive gifts, His delight in giving gifts to me far exceeds my understanding.
He reminds us in today's Word, that He is ready to give us His gracious love at every turn!
Most especially, He tells us that He is ready with exactly what we need at exactly the right time.
When we search for Him: HE WILL BE THERE!
When we knock at some door, trying to gain entrance into the place where He is: THAT DOOR WILL OPENED!
When we feel a need or desire pressuring us and we place that request at His feet; He says, that person WILL RECEIVE!
So very precious, is vs 13, as Jesus reminds us that our Father, in Heaven, is "like" our earthly father.
He is divinely driven to give us the same kind of gifts as our earthly father.......gifts that will help us, gifts that will give us pleasure but also will help us to fulfill His purpose and plan for us.
God is the perfect gift giver...He always knows precisely what I need.
If we ask, we will RECEIVE........
The question is: Are you bold enough to continually ask Him, to continually seek Him, unashamedly..........staying fixed on Him, undeterred no matter what my circumstance, knocking and refusing to be distracted......
knowing that He will give me the Holy Spirit so that I will be totally in line with His Will, His Truth, and His Way...........totally in line with Jesus Christ the One and Only Son of God.
Knocking on that door, and knowing that He will open it to me.........
So that I may BASK IN HIS WONDERFUL PRESENCE!
What a gift that is to me.........His presence.....His love..... His mercy and grace...... I delight in opening up those precious gifts each and every day..........Amen!
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